College News, 1945-03-14, Vol. 31, No. 19

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The college News
VQL. XLI, NO. 19
ARDMORE and BRYN MAWR, PA., WEDNESDAY,  MARCH 14, 1945
Copyright. Trustee* of
Bryn  M�wr Coles*". It- 15
PRICE 10 CENTS
League History,
Role on Campus
Clarified by Lee
Specially Contributed by
� Jeanne Marie Lee, '45
The Bryn Mawr League as we
know it today "provides for the
social services and religious ac-
tivities on campus." One of the
oldest organizations from the point
of view of its function, it has gone
through various stages of develop-
ment, each of which is important
in understanding the purposes of
the League.
In 1895 the Bryn Mawr under-
graduates formed an organization
called the "Christian Union", the
organization which sponsored the
religious activities. Then eight
years iater, another group which
was ^ot in agreement with the
principles of the "Christian Union"
organized the "League for the Ser-
vice of Christ". It seemed pointless,
however, to have two rival organi-
zations on campus and so in 1910
these two groups merged to form
the  "Christian  Association".
The "Christian Association" was
still interested in furthering re-
ligious activities but it also in-
creased the scope of its philanthro-
pic services both on campus as
well as off. Then in 1928 there was
another upheaval, the "Christian
Association" was cast aside as be-
ing dated and the "Bryn Mawr
League" took its place, carrying
on the same work but backed by
a different spirit.
The League Board is\ composed
of a President, a Secretary, rep-
resentatives from the Freshman
and Sophomore classes, the Non-
Continued on Page 4
Stevenson Views
i
Red Cross Work
Red  Cross  Girls Called
Essential to Morale
Of Soldiers
Goodhart, March 14: Launching
a campaign for campus-wide Red
Cross contributions, Mrs. Eleanor
Stevenson addressed an Alliance
Assembly on the importance of
Red Cross Girls. Mrs. Stevenson
has written about her numerous
experiences for the Saturday Ev-
ening Post under the title, "I
Knew Your Soldier", and was in-
troduced by Mary Kay Snyder,
Chairman of the Campus Red
Gross unit.
The clubmobile to which Mrs.
Stevenson was attached went- to
Italy with the Fifth Army and
upon arrival they were immediate-
ly asked to assist. The girls with
the clubmobiles not only distribut-
ed material comforts such as
toothbrushes, soap and shaving
cream, but they also provided com-
panionship for the soldiers.
� Mrs. Stevenson stressed the im-
portance of writing to soldiers of
the things which interest them, to
help maintain their ties with their
homes. She pointed out that wo-
men are absolutely necessary
from the morale standpoint as
well as the medical, helping the
soldiers to write letters, sing, play
musical instruments, and to re-
lieve the strain of combat and
homesickness. The Red Cross
Girls, said Mrs. Stevenson, must
learn to adjust themselves to the
varying demands which wilrV^be
made on them, particularly olH
their emotions. They are partic-
ularly important in maintaining
the soldier's trust in   his   friends.
Thit is a reproduction of the "share" which will be issued in
receipt for your Red Cross donation.
10 Hour Nurses9 Aides Discover
Hospital Work Demands Stamina
by Rosina Bateson '47
The name of Florence Nightin-
gale summons up a vision of an-
gelic aid in time of stress, gliding
through an antiseptic hospital,
soothing the fevered brows of
handsome lads. The sixty-four dol-
lar question of Bryn Mawr's soon-
to-be-capped Aides is how she did
it.
It would seem easy, when stand-
ing in front of a friendly college
audience in a starched blue pina-
fore, clean white shoes, and hair
net clinging rather becomingly.
Everything is against this band-
box impression. The third bed-
bath finishes the once spotless uni-
form, a patient with an eye for
detail discovers that the Red Cross
emblem has been sewed on upside
down, and twenty minutes over the
sterilizer causes the hair to look
like a tossed salad. One ray of
hope, remains: the Aide whom a
patient addresses as "nurse", tell-
ing her that his bed has never felt
so comfortable or his teeth so
clean, will immediately feel like
the angel of tbe lamp personified.
Work in a hospital is not an easy
job, according to most Nurses'
Aides. It takes elbow-grease and
a so-called" bedside manner to ac-
complish what has to be done. Tact
is essential; a sense of humor
helps. The first time an Aide is
confronted by a very toothy pair of
uppers and lowers to brush in the
utility room is an indescribable
experience. Losing a draw-sheet
in the^process of making an occu-
pied bed, and having to scramble
frantically for it is shattering to
the confidence, especially when
the patient drawls laconically,
"This is your first day here, isn't
it?"
A brisk and authoritative stroll
down the corridor with a tray of
thermometers is soul-satisfying.
That is, until the lady in the last
bed is discovered to have chronic
hiccoughs, so that taking her res-
piration is well-nigh impossible.
Or until the head nurse asks calm-
ly why Mr. X's temfifcrature has
risen from normal to'lro in four
hours. The discovery that he had
consumed a cup or boiling tea just
before, the thermometer was put
well under his tongue relieves the
temporary frenzy.
The morning speeds by. Savory
whiffs escape from the kitchen, and
the patients begin to wiggle hun-
grily. As a good five hours have
elapsed since breakfast, the Aide3
.are in the same state. The one ob-
jection voiced from the ranks of
the Bryn Mawr contingent was
overheard in the linen closet, a
plaintive wail to the effect that
feeding a patient lamb-chops and
broccoli was not nearly as much
fun as feeding herself the same,
and great self-control had to be
exercised in preventing the fork
from heading in the wrong direc-
tion. "But I managed!" she con-
cluded triumphantly. Somehow,
after one day in a hospital, an Aide
feels that come what may, this
statement still will hold true.
B.M. Opens Drive for Red Cross
Campus-wide Contribution Asked
Single  Donation  To   Be
Made by Combining
Contributions
Ezban Discusses
Egyptian History
Common Room, March 13. When
Europe was going through its
medieval period, Egypt was in its
Renaissance, .declared Mr. Selim
Ezban in his lecture on Modern
Egypt. The country then fell to
the Turkish Empire and became a
mere province of the Ottoman Em-
pire.
After the failure of a Napoleon-
ic expedition, Mohammed Ali, tak-
ing advantage of the chaos, be-
came head of the Egyptian gov-
ernment, advocating autonomy,
Mr. Ezban said. Fearing the pre-
datory tendencies of England and
France, the leader opposed the
proposed Suez Canal.
When his son Ismail, came to
power, he finally acceded to the
construction, and here, Mr. Ezban
declared, began the history of
Modern Egypt. "The canal be-
came one of the nerve centers of
British and French policy of im-
perialism."
England originally had no share
in the de Lesseps canal, and only
gained a foothold in the region
when the British Lord Cromer
was sent to Egypt to settle the
financial difficulties of Ismail.
In spite of the low rate of lit-
eracy in Egypt (actually less than
10%) British .occupation did little
to better the situation. The French
missionary schools were the main
educational organs. Education
has become a mixture of Western
progressivisfn and Orthodox Kor-
an teaching, Mr. Ezban noted.
The reconciliation of the two cul-
tures seems impossible, he added,
since the Islam religion is also a
social system, permeating the
whole structure of life. That great
progress ribs been made is illus-
trated by thft^iew status of women
in many fields resulting from the
Feminist movement, which was
begun in 1904 by Casin.
The campus drive for contribu-
tions to the National Red Cross,
officially opened today by the Red
Cross Assembly, will continue until
Sunday, March 18, in an attempt
to get a larger contribution than
ever before from all members of
the college community.
$200,000,000 is the goal set by
the Red Cross for its nation-wide
drive. This sum, named as neces-
sary to cover its needs for the com-
ing year, will finance such activi-
ties as the training of Nurses'
Aides; the giving of information
and financial assistance to service
men and their families; the pro-
vision of social service, recreation,
and entertainment for the sick and
wounded; and the work of collect-
ing blood plasma and preparing
surgical dressings.
Since the money given by the
undergraduate body will be com-
bined with the faculty and Fresh-
man Show donations, as a single
contribution in,the name of Bryn
Mawr College, an integrated col-
lecting system has been set up.
Continued on Page 4
130 Undergrads
Plan toVacation
On B.M. Campus
A minimum of 130 students will
spend the spring vacation on cam-
pus, according to figures drawn
from the registration made with
the college. The maximum number
of students, which includes those
spending only a part kf the vaca-
tion on campjiir-w-rSO, in contrast
.to ifopj4KfMi 80 students who did
not leave during the same period
last year.
To accommodate these students
who have cancelled their vacation
plans in response to the ODT re-
quest, ' two halls, Radnor and
Rhoads, will remain open. The
wardens of all the halls will spend
at least part of the ten days on
duty in these halls.
Recreation
Informal activities will be spon-
sored by the Athletic and Music
departments as well as by the Un-
dergraduate Association. The Gym-
nasium will be open all vacation
with one of the athletic instructors
present at all times. Equipment
for baseball, badminton, and bas-
ketball will be available, and a
schedule for swimming will be
posted in Taylor Hall. Unofficial
games and matches will be spon-
sored from time to time by the
Gym Department, and the tennis
courts will be used if weather per-
mits.
Activities
Miss Petts has also prepared
maps of interesting walks rang-
ing in duration from an hour to
all-day jaunts in the direction of
Valley Forge, and these will be
posted in the Gymnasium. The
Athletic Department will welcome
any further suggestions to sup-
plement their , present tentative
plans.
The Music Department is also
open to further suggestions. They
have already planned a mass sing
similar to the one scheduled for
this coming Wednesday. The Un-
dergraduate Association has ten-
tatively scheduled a few campus
movies.
Engagements
Renee   Randall   Small   '46,    to
Ensign Louis Rohr, USNR.
Doris Emerson '46, to Flying
Ofllcer F. Dyson Hague,
RCAF.
Norms Jean Edgehill '47, to
Lt. William Fleming, UNCR.
Board Names Moise, Bierwirth,
Cross, Bunce, for League Sec'y
The League Board has nomi-
nated Marian Moise, Nancy Bier-
wirth, Mary Cross, and Barbara
Bunce for the position of Secretary
of the Bryn Mawr League.
The Secretary of the League
keeps the minutes of the League
meetings. She helps the President
and takes over the President's du-
ties in the latter's absence, since
the League has no Vice-President.
Marian  Moise
Marian Moise was her Class rep-
resentative to the League last year
and was Chairman of the Activi
ties Drive this year. She is a mem-
ber of the Vocational Committee
and an Editor of the Freshman
Handbook. Marian is captain of the
Sophomore basketball team. Last
summer she was a counselor at the
Bryn Mawr Summer Camp, and
this year she is a volunteer at the
Home for Incurables.
Nancy Bierwirth
Nancy Bierwirth i3 the Vice-
President of the Players Club and
'S
has been a member of the Choir
for two years. She is the manager
of the Basketball team and has
been on it for two years. She is on
the second hockey team. Last sum-
mer Nancy was a counselor at the
Bryn Mawr summer camp and will
be an assistant director this year.
She is a volunteer at the Home
for Incurables. Nancy was Vice-
President of the Freshman class
last yeaf* and fourth class chair-
man.
Mary Cross
Mary is a member of.the Glee
Club and is on the -Sophomore Bas-
ketball team. She is an usher at
Chapel. Mary is a Co-Director of
Arsenic and Old Lace, the Maids'
and Porters' play. She is a per-
mission giver in Rhoads.
Barbara Bunce
Barbara is the second Sophomore
representative to Self-Government.
She is on the varsity Swimming
team and belongs to the Science
Club.            ^>-
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